Betts should be OK after departing early

BOSTON -- Star right fielder Mookie Betts gave the Red Sox a brief scare when he had to leave Sunday's 4-3 win over the Mets with soreness in his left side.There was relief after the game, though, when both Betts and manager Alex Cora said that the leadoff man and

BOSTON -- Star right fielder Mookie Betts gave the Red Sox a brief scare when he had to leave Sunday's 4-3 win over the Mets with soreness in his left side.There was relief after the game, though, when both Betts and manager Alex Cora said that the leadoff man and MVP candidate should be back in the lineup when the Red Sox next play on Tuesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.With a win in that game, the 103-47 Red Sox would clinch the American League East title.

"Couple days," said Betts. "Was able to get some stretching, get some work in. Kind of flared back up on the second throw. Like I said, it'll be fine and I'll be ready to play Tuesday."Cora said that Betts will likely DH on Tuesday, with J.D. Martinez playing right field.Prior to coming out of the game, Betts had just made back-to-back throws to home plate, the latter of which was a sacrifice fly by Wilmer Flores.

Just after the Red Sox had called for a review on that play, Cora noticed Betts on the ground trying to stretch out his left side.Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. signaled to the dugout that something was wrong with Betts. Cora then ran out to the field with assistant trainer Masai Takahashi, and Betts ran back to the dugout shortly thereafter.Bradley moved from center to right, and Tzu-Wei Lin went out to center and took the spot of Betts at the top of the order.Betts was on the disabled list with a left abdominal strain from May 29-June 10."This isn't the same," said Betts. "You know, I was just coming out of it for precautionary [reasons], just to make sure it didn't get any worse. But it checked out to be just fine."